Understanding lung cancer.

The American Cancer Society predicted 215,020 new cases of lung cancer in 2008, with tobacco smoke as the major culprit. Most lung cancers develop in cells that line the airways.

There are two major types of lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. Each grows and spreads in different ways and is treated differently. Staging of the cancer is performed to find out whether the cancer has spread and, if so, to what parts of the body. Knowing the stage of the disease assists in planning treatment. Some tests, like a CT scan, MRI or radionuclide scanning are used to determine if the cancer has spread.

How it’s treated.

Treatment options vary depending on many factors, including the type of lung cancer (non-small cell or small cell) and the stage of the cancer. Various treatments are used when treating patients with lung cancer and may include radiation therapy, surgery and chemotherapy. Radiation therapy is often an important component performed independently or used before surgery to shrink a tumor. It is also used after surgery to destroy any cancer cells that may remain. The combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy is often used instead of surgery.

Radiation treatments at Radiotherapy Clinics of Georgia are precisely aimed at the cancer cells, through the help of three-dimensional treatment planning with CT scanning and respiratory gating, which allows us to take into account cancer movement with each breath.